Support for improving our animal protection laws is at an all-time high and Canadians no longer expect animals to be treated as an afterthought by politicians. Yet for an entire year, Canadian law has given animal abusers in Canada license to exploit animals for their own perverse sexual gratification.

Canada Goose and Moose Knuckles: Both use fur trim, both charge a hefty price for their luxury jackets ($600 to $1,000), and both are allegedly deceiving consumers about the true nature of the products they're peddling. But the authorities are only taking action against one of them. What gives?

Animal advocates have been demanding for years that provincial governments update barn fire codes to stop an ongoing trend of horrifying , since it's clear that the industry will continue to refuse to protect animals from being burned to death unless they're forced to.

Ontario's Human Rights Code protects people from discrimination based on characteristics like race, age, gender identity, and sex in situations like the provision of services, housing, and employment. People are also protected from discrimination based on their creed. The term "creed" isn't defined in the legislation, but until recently, it was thought to mean the same thing as religion. That is, until now.

Animals got their day in court last week, thanks to Animal Justice. The energy in the courtroom was palpable. This is the first time the Court is considering legislation that protects animals from harmful conduct, and our legal arguments may make all the difference.

The situation for animals in Canada remains dire, with hundreds of millions of animals suffering and dying every year on farms, in laboratories, in entertainment and for their fur. Parliament has a tremendous opportunity to improve life for many of these animals, and Canadians are crying out for change. The election results offer many reasons for optimism. It's now time for advocates to roll up our sleeves, start working with the new Parliament, and help MPs pass meaningful legislation for animals.

A Toronto Star exposé this week reveals that Marineland is a house of horrors for the whales, dolphins, sea lions, and walruses trapped inside. This rare glimpse into the misery at Marineland has outraged the public but why has Marineland not been charged criminally and under provincial animal protection law?

Why do we object so vigorously to what these poor animals experienced, yet accept that had they not escaped from the trailer, the steers would have be slaughtered for food just hours later? The only difference is, we don't bear witness to these conditions -- the suffering goes on behind closed doors.

The ethical dimension of confining elephants in zoos has generated a great deal of debate in Canada. Elephants are intelligent, sensitive creatures whose physical, psychological and emotional needs simply cannot be met in zoos. Releasing them to sanctuaries is the best way to express our compassion for animals.